Description: Developing your local, state and federal officials as part of your asset base. How to organize and sustain an active campaign of outreach to your government officials to promote awareness for your mission. Hear members, lobbyists and government representatives explain how they work together to build public sector support for programs and sail training.

Biography of Speakers:

Catherine Collins

Catherine Collins

Catherine has been Executive Director for Sound Experience, the Puget Sound-based nonprofit organization that owns and operates the historic schooner Adventuress, since 2006. With an MBA and more than two decades in non-profit fundraising and management, Catherine has raised nearly $1 million in capital funds for the Adventuress Centennial Restoration Project in recent years from federal, state and foundation sources. She has worked for national youth development/service organizations including Outward Bound and City Year, and spent a decade building local economics with ACCION USA – a subsidiary of microfinance leader ACCION International. A native of Massachusetts, Catherine grew up sailing Cape Cod waters. Her interest in environmental education aboard ships was influenced by her experience in 1993 as a volunteer educator aboard the Clearwater on New York’s Hudson River. In 2012, Catherine was appointed to the WA State Governor’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Richard M. McAulliffe

Rick began his career in Washington as a legislative assistant for Senator Jack Reed during Senator Reed’s six years in the United States House of Representatives. During his tenure with Reed, McAuliffe handled a number of issues from economic development to veterans’ affairs. He was also responsible for congressional correspondences and systems management.

After leaving Washington, McAuliffe returned to his home state of Rhode Island to work as a community relations officer for the Royal Bank of Scotland’s U.S. subsidiary, Citizens Financial Group. After two years, McAuliffe left the private sector to successfully run State Senator Charles J. Fogarty’s successful campaign for Lieutenant Governor. After the election, McAuliffe became the Lieutenant Governor’s Chief of Staff, overseeing the management of the office, as well as acting as senior policy and political advisor to the lieutenant governor. McAuliffe then went on to leave state government and return to federal government by becoming United States Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy’s District Director.

While in government, McAuliffe covered a wide range of issues, from economic development to health care and education. He worked with both public and private entities, helping them seek and secure federal and state dollars. He has extensive knowledge of both the state and federal committee processes, having presented testimony in many capacities on behalf of his clients.

Rick McAuliffe has an undergraduate degree in Speech Communication from SyracuseUniversity and Masters in Public Administration, with a concentration in Urban Affairs from AmericanUniversity. He was also an adjunct professor at Johnson & Wales University’s graduate education school.

Captain Les Bolton

Captain Les Bolton

Capt. Les Bolton has been actively involved in sail training and maritime heritage projects since the late 1970’s. He served on the Board of Directors for the American Sail Training Association from 2001 – 2011. For the past 22 years he has served as the Executive Director of Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority. A graduate of the Seminar for Historical Administration, in 1992 he was awarded the Robert Gray medal for distinguished achievement in the field of Pacific Northwest Maritime History by the Washington State Historical Society.

Capt. Bolton was a founding member of the Pacific Northwest Maritime Heritage Council, currently serving as Washington co-chair. He is also on the Government Affairs Committee of the Grays Harbor County Economic Development Council, the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, and regularly meets with the “Heritage Caucus” during Washington State Legislative sessions.

Capt. Bolton has worked on a number of large and small film projects and serves the Washington State Film Commission/Washington Filmworks as a resource to help locate maritime resources for the film industry.